(A1025) The Impact of a Healthcare Education Outreach Program on High School Students’ Career Interests

Introduction: Otolaryngology has historically exhibited markedly low representation of underrepresented-in-medicine (URiM) physicians. Facilitating access to healthcare-oriented activities for URiM students has been shown, in certain settings, to foster recruitment into healthcare professions. Thus, this study aimed to assess the impact of a single otolaryngology department's participation in a healthcare education outreach program.

Methods: Under the umbrella of the Health Career Collaborative, staff members of an academic otolaryngology department visited two classes of high school students in a Northeast Florida high school monthly for hour-long interactive presentations on their career paths. A prospective survey consisting of six items, using a modified, validated 5-point Likert scale, was distributed at the start and middle of the academic year to participating junior and senior students to assess changes in confidence, career planning, and healthcare interest.

Results: Eight staff visits occurred between the baseline and midpoint surveys. The cohort included 49 students (46.9% in 11th grade, 53.1% in 12th grade; M: F = 13:36; 93.9% Black, 4.1% White, 2% Other). Baseline surveys were completed by 37 students (75.5%), and midpoint surveys by 39 students (79.6%). Cronbach’s alpha indicated acceptable internal consistency at baseline (α = 0.718). At baseline, 51.3% of students reported considerable mentor support, 43.2% possessed meaningful healthcare knowledge, and 51.3% expressed interest in a healthcare career. At the midpoint, mentor support increased to 71.8%, healthcare knowledge reached 87.2%, and 46.1% of students continued to express interest in pursuing a healthcare career.

Conclusions: A healthcare education intervention may improve students' perceptions of support and healthcare career knowledge, demonstrating its potential to enhance career preparedness. While interest in pursuing healthcare careers remained stable, further efforts are needed to identify potential obstacles that may influence long-term career decisions or contribute to reluctance in pursuing such careers.